Thursday, 29 October 2015

So the other day I paid my friend Leanne a visit, we don't get to catch-up often as she's in UNI and I have a job. It's getting increasingly more difficult to fit in our little meet-ups so we tend to have a lot to talk about, I even painted her nails whilst I had the chance. Anyway, we ended up talking about some of the daft things we did in school and it got me thinking about how things have ended up and things I've done that I wouldn't have even thought about in school. It's all turned out so different from what I expected when I first left secondary school so I thought it would make an interesting post.

I always thought I would do my A Levels and then move on to UNI but I only did one year of A Levels and decided against going to UNI.

Going to college to do a diploma in journalism was something that I really didn't think that I could do, at the time I was much less out-going and going to a new place full of new people terrified me but I did it.

I never planned on doing social media as a career, I just used it to keep in touch with friends and family. It was something I almost fell into actually, as I started off by helping someone with their account and it sprung up from there.

I didn't expect to volunteer for a charity for as long as I did, I was there for around six months and helped with funding campaigns and their social media channels.

I never thought that running a blog would become such a large part of my life, I was always the friend with no hobbies but now I do all sorts and my current blog has been going for nearly a year.

The thought of going to London on my own was never something that I anticipated, I just booked a train one day and took off for a few days - thanks AJ!

Hong Kong was somewhere I always wanted to go since my gran has lived there for over a decade, this summer I finally got a chance to visit - I even had to do a long haul flight on my own.

All in all it's been an amazing three years and despite a few bumps in the road, I would definitely not go back and change anything if I had the chance.

Tuesday, 27 October 2015

Hello everyone, so yesterday I had a little catch-up with my good friend Leanne and as I usually do when I see her, I painted her nails. To be fair, we don't really do much else when we get together these days. We use nail art as an excuse to sort out a catchup, she's in UNI and I work so it's difficult to find out a good time for both of us to chat and be all nostalgic and stuff. Sorry about the rambling, I'll just get straight to it then!

Since my last makeup post was inspired by a sort of carnival/circus style (Carnival Inspired Makeup Look) I guess I was feeling the vibe for that again. I also figured it would be nice to almost do a part two to the look in the form of nail art. I almost did an ombré style with dark trees on but then I couldn't find any sponges and I got hooked onto the carnival look again.

What you need:

Two pastel nail polishes (any colours are good, just make sure they're pale for this particular look), I used two Claire's Accessories as they're chip resistant and they last for quite some time.

Four gems, I used flower shaped ones as I wanted a quite feminine vibe to be present. These ones can be bought from somewhere cheap like the Poundshop or somewhere else that sells bargain brands.

Nail glue is a necessity for this design as I decided to use the gems, of course, if you really can't get any you can use a clear polish but it gets quite messy.

Nail art pens are a necessity to do the itty bitty designs, half of the ones I used were from Argos and half were from Boyes. Online shopping is always a good backup, eBay tends to have a few different packs so it might be worth checking out.

A nail art tool, it can be used to created dots and paint the more intricate designs for the skull and the flowers.

After a clear base coat I started off by choosing a pastel purple and a pastel pink, this look is best styled when it's applied to a pastel base. I used Claire's nail polish, I actually bought it for Leanne for Christmas last year and it was still looking good. I chose do do one feature nail on each hand as I wanted to attempt a sugar skull, it made sense to make it stand out and be a feature. I applied two coats to each nail but then I had to go back and repaint one or two nails as Leanne smudged them.

Once the base dried I glued on the little blue flowers for the eyes on the feature nails. You're going to want to make sure that the gems aren't too close to the nail bed as they won't look like eyes and you won't get to do part of the design. Dark red or purple gems would actually look nice too but I liked the blue and they had a nice shape so that's why I went for those specific gems.

This design involved a lot of dots but I then went on to do the mouth which was a little marked line, it was kind of like a zombie mouth until I added the white for the teeth. I then lined the eyes with dots, gave the skull an orange brow and drew on a little black nose.

I the started on the white designs, I chose to do two white nails to soften up the darker look and keep the general them consistent. The thumb nail is a cobweb which I just drew on with a white nail art pen. I think it turned out pretty well as it was but if you want you can add some gems to the little corners of the cobweb or perhaps some glitter. The heart was easy to do as it was just white dots and, yet again, the design can be jazzed up with glitter or gems if you wish it so.

The nails with the black designs on took a little more work, for the flowers I started with a black nail art pen and drew on swirly stalks. Then I just added little red and green lines to create simple flowers, I will say though, you need to be quite precise with this bit or it just looks like a splodgy mess. For the skull I just dabbed the black pen onto the nail in spots and built it up to be the shape of a skull. I dotted orange pen in two places for eyes and then added yellow dots to make it softer and more carnival styled. To finish it off I drew a white mouth and then left it all to dry, it took a while but that was because everything was layered.

The final step was to paint over the top of each nail with a clear top coat, you could add a matte coat but I would only recommend that if you don't use gems or studs.

Well, thanks for reading this nail post. Sorry it took so long, I did plan to have it up during the morning but I had a fairly busy day with the social media webinar I had to participate in. Let me know what you think in the comments below!

Tuesday, 20 October 2015

Hello everyone! This is my last unboxing post for this month, after the next wave of subscription boxes I'm going to choose which to keep going. It's a difficult choice because I have liked all three of the ones I've tried (Birchbox, Look Fantastic and this one). Anyway, today's unboxing is for Glossybox, one which I had heard a lot about, some things good and some things bad.

I'm going to say this BEFORE I go through the contents of the box, this was actually the one that I was the most unsure about. I loved two out of five of the items but the other three I wasn't exactly in love with but I didn't hate them either. Though, that's not reflective on the box itself as the point in these subscriptions is to try new things and no one is going to love and suit every product.

Contents:

Nicka K Airbrush Blending Sponge - This is one of the products that I adored from this month's Glossybox, I've wanted to try a sponge like this for an absolute AGE so it was a nice surprise. It met expectations and I do actually prefer using a sponge to a brush, it's soft, creamy and easy to blend. It's also much easier to wash than a brush too so it's fair to say that I recommend this product.

So Susan Haute Light Highlighting Pencil - This was the other product that I favoured in the box, I've been calling it a magic pencil. It's great for both highlighting and contouring but I love to use it for under-eye circles as it just brightens up my eyes instantly and makes them look wider and brighter.

Jelly Pong Pong Fairy Lashes - This product I could give or take, really, I much prefer the one I usually use. I just didn't feel like it extended my lashes enough to rave on about it, it'd okay for curling lashes but it's not the best one I've tried. It's not a bad product, it's just not for me but I would never have known about it if I hadn't gotten this month's Glossybox.

Talika Photo-Hydra Day - The main thing I would say about this product is that it's rejuvenating, it has hyaluronic acid in it so it plumps and defines skin. Whilst I do like the product, I have quite oily skin and this product didn't really balance that out so it's good, just not for oily skin. In any review of this post, however, it says that the product hosts a benefits for all skin types but it just didn't really work for me.

Lanolips Anti-Bacterial Hand Cream - Yet another great product that I don't appreciate as mush as perhaps other people would. It moisturises and protects as it says it does but I'm just not the sort of person to carry around hand-cream, it will come in handy over winter though.

Thanks for reading today's post, I have more posts planned for the rest of the week so watch this space! I have two Halloween looks coming up closer to the back end of this week so if you're looking for Halloween inspiration, keep checking back. Until then, please check out my carnival inspired look and let me know what you think!

Monday, 19 October 2015

Hello everyone! So it's been a while since I've done a 'Mani Monday' post but I just really fancied writing one. This one isn't anything intricate and detailed so it's not going to be a MASSIVE post but - hey - I can't be the only one constantly looking for nail inspiration, right?

Since it's Autumn and nearly Halloween I was conflicted about the shade of red I wanted for my nails, a rosy berry hue, a bright fake blood shade or any of the shades in between. Anyway, as I was considering what shade I fancied I came across this Yves Saint Laurent polish. I've had it since last Christmas but I never bothered with it so I figured I might as well give it a go. I have the matching lipstick too but I don't really wear bold lippy at work, it's a gorgeous shade though.

The shade is called Rouge Dada, number six in the YSL polish range and it can be bought for £19.99 at House Of Fraser. I know, that might seem a bit much for a nail polish but it's got good staying power, it dries quickly and the colour is fantastic. I used two coats but only one may be necessary, I just wanted to make sure it wasn't going to just peel off or chip too soon. I wouldn't recommend any more than two coats!

Well, thanks for reading this post... As I said, it's been a while since I've done a 'Mani Monday' post so it was fun sharing my thoughts on this lovely shade. Any you're coveting over October? I'd love to hear what your nails are wearing!

Friday, 16 October 2015

Hello everyone! So today's main post is my half of the 'Autumn Favourites' collaboration with Nicola DaRita (Perfect Peonies). It's been a while since our last collaboration but we're straight back into the swing of things! We decided to pull together our Autumn favourites, I'm focusing on eyes and Nicola is focusing on the lips. I was really excited about doing my part as I've been experimenting quite a bit with eye makeup recently. My favourite beauty post so far was actually my circus/carnival inspired Halloween look, in which I focused on the eyes but included skin and base, you can check it out here.

The first item of this post is the Real Techniques Starter Set, I chose this one because I was desperate for an angled brush. During Autumn/Winter I like to apply eyeshadow in the same way as eyeliner to create a softer and less harsh look. A plus for getting this set is that you can create nearly a whole eye look with it, shading and blending included. It costs £16.79 from the Look Fantastic site which I think is a good price for decent brushes.

The Benefit They're Real Mascara (in black) isn't a new product, in fact, it's been adored for quite some time now. I particularly like it because of the lengthening function of the mascara, Autumn and Winter is a good time to try out bolder looks so good lashes are a MUST. The only drawback is that it costs £19.50 which I think is a bit steep for mascara but you know what they say, go budget for the novelties and spend money on the basics/necessities.

The Brow Amplifier (Medium Brown) from Eyelure is something that can help any look, tamed and full brows are in my opinion a better look than needle thin ones! I persoanlly have quite thick ones so rather than over plucking I focus on keeping them tamed and in place. This product is usually £9.95 but it's discounted by a pound in Superdrug right now so it's a good time to invest in it!

The Revlon Photoready Eye Primer + Brightener is great for increasing the longevity of an eye look, which, for someone like me who likes to use eyeshadow for eyeliner this time of the year - it's a great product! I use it to brighten up around my eyes and help the shadow stick, especially when I line the upper and lower lash lines. (Costs £9.99)

As a base, I love the Bourjois Little Round Pot Nude Edition Utaupique. It's very neutral and goes with most of the colours I like to create smokey looks with, it's easy to blend and to top it all off - it's £6.99 so it's definitely one I recommend.

The Bourjois Little Round Pot Eyeshadow Prune Pailettes is a perfect partner for the above mentioned neutral shade. It's Autumnal and can also be used to create a festive look or an intense look depending on the reason for use. It's fantastic blended into the crease and outer corners of the lids, either that or it can be used as a soft eyeshadow liner along with an angled brush. It costs the same as the nude one and it can still be counted as good value for money.

Well, those are my Autumn eye product favourites. Any that you recommend? I'd love it if you could add them in the comments, I love trying new products. Be sure to check in on Nicola's blog later on in the day, the lip part of the collaboration will be up on Perfect Peonies at some point soon!

Hello everyone! So this is my second interview post this month and today it's based on Tamara from Words On The Page. I plan on doing more of these as a way of introducing you guys to bloggers that maybe aren't quite so mainstream.

Tam has been a great friend for quite some time, an online one, but a great one. We've been there for each other through good times and bad times so it's really nice to get to know more about her. She blogs through her main blog but she also has a health, fitness and lifestyle blog as well as a Youtube channel so check it all out!

Can you give my readers an insight into what your blog is all about?

Well when it comes to my blog, I really just talk about my everyday life along with beauty and lifestyle tips. Everyone tells me I should have a niche but I can't understand why you would only stick to one!

You blog quite a bit about beauty, how would you sum up your day to day look? Generally it's a very simple look, neutral eyes with a bold lips and occasionally a wing tip or just liner.

If you could only buy from one makeup brand for the rest of your life, what would it be?Ohhh, most probably Rimmel London because they are good quality products and are just as good as high end brands.

What is your profession? Is it what you want to do or do you have other ambitions?I currently don't have a profession but when it comes to careers I have never been able to focus on just one, I don't like the idea of having the same job for the rest of my life! I know sounds silly...

You recently blogged about wearing makeup with glasses, do you often try out new techniques and trick to help with that?I am always trying new tips and tricks when it comes to beauty, well almost anything because then I can pass on what I learnt to other who may not have figured them out yet! We all learn from one another....its part of being human!

You seem to love review posts, what would be the ideal brand to work with for one of those?I do love a good old Review post, for fashion it would have to be SimplyBe (I absolutely love them) for Beauty it would have to be Dior....aiming high but I love their products!

Other than lots of pampering, what do you like to do to relax and take a break?I love watching films, can't count how many times I've watched Harry Potter-I can even quote the film in certain points, ridiculous I know, hehe!

Do you have an idol? This can be blogger, celebrity or character...Miss Demi Lovato all the way, I have looked up to her for so long! She is someone who struggles just like everyone else and doesn't hide it, she is just fabulous and I think it was the first time I saw her in Camp Rock that she became my idol in a way!

Celebrity crush?

Well this isn't hard.....CHANNING TATUM!!

Any tips to new bloggers or people considering starting a blog?Just be yourself, it's what people want to see and don't worry about having niche, you will discover what you want to write about as time goes on and ohh don't worry about it being rubbish or bad - you will always improve; looking back at my first post...its poorly written and the photographs are ***** but I've progressed and you will too so don't worry!

Thursday, 15 October 2015

Hello everyone, so today I thought I'd post a little 'how to' piece for the makeup look I shared through my social media accounts. To be honest, I had been sat reading about other bloggers creating looks and I just wondered why I hadn't thought to do one. Now, I'm no professional but it's always fun to experiment with makeup so I might as well share the ONE look that I was actually really proud of.

I went for a bright and colourful carnival theme as I figured that the dark and brooding vampire look was a bit old hat. I was really inspired by the colour green, I have no idea why but I just really wanted green to be part of the look. If you don't have a green eyeshadow you can always go for yellow or orange, the goal is to look bright and exotic but you can really play around with the colour combinations. I'm going to go through the look step-by-step and give product SUGGESTIONS, really you can use any colourful palette for the eyes but I already had one in so I stuck with that.

What I used:

REVOLUTION Ulitimate Eyeshadow Collection

Avon Gorgeous Plum Lipstick

Vaseline

White Face Paint

Collection 2000 Concealer

Innis Anti-Sebum Powder

W7 Brush Collection

Look Good Feel Good Eyeshadow Brush

Of course, you can use whatever products you have or prefer but those are the ones that I used and I was pleased with the effects that they gave me. If you're going for a different palette I would advise that you use one with a mix of bold colours, neutrals and shimmery shades.

How I did it:

Step 1 - Start with a freshly cleansed and moisturised face, apply concealer to any major blemishes to start off the base. Lightly dab the blemishes and don't put too much on, it will be covered by the face paint anyway.

Step 2 - Apply the white face paint with an almost blotting action, the goal is to apply a base that will last for a little while, apply some of the paint to the nick to blend in the pale colour. Make sure that the eye lids are included in this step to prime them for the intense colours.

Step 3 - Apply some anti-shine powder to mattify the base, give it staying power and increase the longevity. Yes again, add this to the eyelids to make sure that the eye look stays, it's difficult to blend if you don't.

Step 4 - Highlight and contour using a shimmery white shade, lightly apply it to the nose, cheekbones, above the lip and at the jawline. This can be done with a very light shade of green, purple or blue if you want to create a less subtle look.

Step 5 - Use an ivory or porcelain shade in a triangle shape from the middle of the nose bridge and over the eyelid, this helps blend the colour in later.

Step 6 - Use an angled brush to line underneath the eye with a bright green shade, leave the inner corner and then switch to blue. Take the blue and get right in the inner corner and drag it down very slightly, it will make the eye look larger and brighten it up a bit. Change the brush to an eyeshadow brush and blend the blue into the green.

Step 7 - Pick up the angled brush (wiped clean, of course) and go from the upper inner corner of the eye and line it, take the purple all the way and create a long flick.

Step 8 - Use the white shimmery shadow to tidy up the eye look, make it all look precise and fix up any mistiakes.

Step 9 - Use the Gorgeous Plum lipstick to, very precisely and deliberately, colour the lips. Use a brush if you need to but make the lines as sharp and accurate as possible, the lipstick is the base.

Step 10 - Use the purple eyeshadow that was used to line the upper eyelid to cover the lipstick, it darkens up the shade and adds staying power, use an eyes shadow brush to put on the shadow in a very light and delicate manner.

Step 11 - To lock in the lip colour, use Vaseline as it preserves the colour, adds a glossy finish and prevents the lips from drying out.

Step 12 - Line the outside of the lips with more of the white face paint to make the lip look bolder and stronger, it also prevents colour bleed.

Sorry if I put in place too many steps but that was just exactly how I created the look, I loved how it turned out and I just wanted to share with you my first Halloween look this year. I'll be posting another one fairly soon but it will be after a few other posts. Thanks for reading, I hope this post has at least inspired you to create your own bright and colourful Halloween look.

Wednesday, 14 October 2015

I'm trying a mix of beauty boxes this month, I might keep a subscription going with one of them but I have Glossybox to try first before I make any decisions! This box is the Look Fantastic Beauty Box, which to be honest, is better than the Birchbox.

First of all, the box is bigger. It fits more products and they are decent sized bottles so I'm quite happy with that. One thing I preferred about the Birchbox, however, was that it was colourful and filled with fun products. Look Fantastic is definitely more practical, there's pretty much a full skincare routine in there. I was pleased to see that I recognised most of the brands in the box, though, I did enjoy getting some of the slightly hidden gems in the other box. Sorry about the mini comparison, I just want to give you the full picture since I've tried both, poor Glossybox will be reviewed against two subscription boxes!

Really, this beauty box was about skincare rather than makeup so it wasn't particularly varied but for people like me who are always looking for new skincare that works, it's great. Well, I was quite happy with it, anyway.

Contents:

Look Good Feel Good Eyeshadow Brush - The eyeshadow brush was a lovely surprise, I've been wanting a new one for some makeup looks I want to create soon. Looks Good Feels Good is raising money to help those suffering with cancer build their self-esteem and general quality of life so it's a good brush for a good cause.

Nuxe Reve De Miel Hand and Nail Cream - This one was a 15ml travel sized bottle so it's not massive but it feels great and it's another one of those things that could become a handbag essential. The texture of the cream is very thick and luxurious and it doesn't leave behind a greasy feeling afterwards so it's a great hand product for over the Autumn/Winter time.

Monu Firming Moisturiser - This was also a travel size product (25ml) so it's another handbag hero, really, since the colder months are in full swing now it's a good idea to keep moisturiser close. I hadn't actually heard of Monu before I received this box so I'm pleased I was introduced to the brand.

Elmis Hydra-Balance Day Cream - This little beauty came in the WAY too small bottle of 20ml, I say way too small because I adore this product. It's great for combination skin and cuts down on shine without drying the skin, it's perfect for my awkward skin. It also doesn't hurt that it smells gorgeous, I'm really pleased with this one.

Murad AHA/BHA Exfoliating Cleanser - This one was 50ml so it was slightly more than the other travel size products, though, it may last a while as I'm giving my skin a bit of a breather right now. It did leave my skin clean and smooth when I used it though so it's one that I could see myself buying again.

Balance Me Radiance Face Mask - I've actually tried one of their cleansers but it dried out my skin so I was dubious about this product but I'm a sucker for a face mask so I tried it anyway. It was quite a good face mask, it wasn't the best one I've tried but it was okay. I'll keep using it until I've used up all 30ml and perhaps it will work better over time. Then again, the lavender in it might make my face break out into a rash or something so we'll see...

Percy & Reed No Oil Oil - I'm always on the lookout for a product to help my hair out, it's been through the mill over the years and it needs some TLC, this product smooths and protects but also add volume so it's great for my most recent haircut. Though, I have been told that it works well enough for long hair too so perhaps you should give it a try if your hair is a little... bleh!

Well, thanks for reading another unboxing post. I hope these are quite useful for those of you considering a beauty subscription box, let me know if you think any other boxes are better or if you want to ask any questions about the products - I'll try my best to answer!

Hey guys, so I've recently connected with Nicola from Pink Confetti through her advertisement deal on her blog so I thought - why don't I ask her if she'll do an interview with me for my blog? I've enjoyed chatting to her inbetween and I would recommend her blog whole-heartedly so check out her interview below and let me know in the comments if you would be willing to do an interview too.

Can you give my readers an insight into what your blog is all about?

My blog is very much a lifestyle blog - I post a little bit about everything and have never been able to stick to a specific theme, I just post about what's going on in my life at the moment. This includes a lot of fashion posts and food and restaurant reviews, but also some advice topics and posts just about things I've been doing lately, like events or new exhibitions or festivals!

You blog quite a bit about fashion, how would you sum up your style?

I do, but I wouldn't say I have a particularly good sense of style, haha! I tend to like really bright colours and vibrant patterns. I would live in dresses every day if I could (if only I didn't get cold so easily!) and tend to like anything that's a bit out of the ordinary.

If you could only buy from one fashion brand for the rest of your life, what would it be?

Oh, this one is so easy - Oasis! It's funny as I don't think I bought anything from Oasis until about a year and a half ago, now I'm constantly watching their store and buying yet more things from them. I like that they go with patterns that are a little bit unique, and I think their dresses are so pretty. I also find them to be really affordable, and they run sales enough that I can catch up on those things that were a bit out of price range quickly enough!

What is your profession? Is it what you want to do or do you have other ambitions?

I'm a front line worker within the emergency services, and I do really enjoy it although I massively suffer with working round the clock shifts at times - night shifts and me definitely do not go together! I plan on sticking to it, but hope to specialise a bit more. Into something that does less night shifts... You never know!

You recently blogged about your favourite bloggers, do you take influence from them? How?

I don't really - In the past I've definitely tried to take some hints from what my favourite bloggers do, but I was never able to stick to it for very long and always ended up taking blogging breaks. Now I just keep to my own thing, but definitely enjoy reading their blogs as much as I can and supporting them where I can as well!

You seem to love travel too, do you have any favourite destinations?

My absolute favourite place was Ecuador. I was there for about six weeks and I loved almost everywhere I went there. It's a really interesting country with such a huge amount of variety to it. My second favourite place would be Malawi, I went there not knowing much about it and not expecting very much but having a great time. Again there's quite a lot to do and see there and the people are very friendly and so willing to show you their country!

Other than travel, what do you like to do to relax and take a break?

I try and do yoga a few times a week, which generally helps me although I'm still absolutely useless at it. I also have quite a few adult colouring books - I've been into them for YEARS and I love that they've become this really mainstream thing now as it means that there's a much bigger variety available than there would have been about a year ago. I also now spend too much time watching Netflix - I'm just about to start season three of Once Upon A Time and I'm slightly ashamed of how quickly I got to that point...!

Do you have an idol? This can be blogger, celebrity or character...

Not really! There's definitely bloggers I love, and I don't really keep up with celebrities as much as I used to anymore - I really just do my own thing!

Celebrity crush?

Hmmm. Well right now it's almost certainly Colin O'Donoghue what with my previously mentioned new Once Upon A Time obsession. I think it's more a character thing though, I don't know too much about the actor as I'm afraid of finding out storylines I don't want to know about yet!

Any tips to new bloggers or people considering starting a blog?

I think the most important part of blogging is to be consistent with it, so try to work out what sort of routine or posting schedule works best for you. I find if I go off of this even briefly it takes me a while to get back into it, so try to work out early on some days or a pattern that work with you - and make sure you stick to it!

Tuesday, 13 October 2015

Excuse the awful flat hair in the picture to the left, I just wanted to do a quick blog about my latest vinyl purchase. Gerard Way's album, Hesitant Alien, has been out for around a year now and I've wanted it for just as long. It's been difficult to get my hands on it as every time I've tried to order it it's been out of stock, I didn't realise it was so popular!

The album itself is very Bowie, then again, one of Gerard's main influences is David Bowie and Iggy Pop so that's not entirely surprising. Hesitant Alien has a very 70's vibe and it reminds me of a smoky, grungy and possibly underground bar. It sounds fantastic as a vinyl, it just sounds so much more raw and authentic. I know some people don't like vinyls or find them too dated but I like the slightly less than HD sound.

Tracklist:

Bureau

Action Cat

No Shows

Brother

Millions

Zero Zero

Juarez

Drugstore Perfume

Get The Gang Together

How's It Going To Be

Maya The Psychic

They're all pretty shady and eclectic song names but they kinda work, Gerard Way is a strange guy, seriously, check out his Twitter! Back to the music, my personal favourite song from this album is No Shows but Action Cat, Millions and Brother are quite high up in my rankings too. I really do recommend this album, though, I know one friend of mine who really doesn't like Gerard Way or My Chem so it just depends on taste, I guess, not everyone is going to have the same opinions.

Well, thanks for reading my impromptu vinyl post... It's been a great one for me to write because no outside knowledge was needed, it was all opinion and things I already knew. Any others that sound great on vinyl? I'd love to hear about them in the comments.

Hello! So, this is my second post this week and I just wanted to do a sort of throwback post to compare my answers last year to my answers this year. When I started my current blog, one of the first tags I did was 'The Beauty Tag', since then my tastes have changed and I've changed so I figured I would do an update. The questions will be the same but the answers will be quite different so I hope you all enjoy it.

Most of my beauty regime is based on work-wear, though, I have developed some habits and 'hacks' so it's not all boring and reserved! Last time I did this post I mentioned that I wasn't a beauty blogger - since then my blog has evolved and I blog about lifestyle, BEAUTY and fashion. It's much more appropriate for my blog than it was when I did it previously.

1. What do you do in terms of skincare?

I like to mix it up and try different products but I do like micellar water and quite pure and natural cleansers. I've tried quite a few so far this year, I recently tried the Bioderma Sensibio H20 from the October Birchbox - good product! I like to use moisturiser with tea tree oil as it combines two steps and just helps with my blemished skin, my skin is in no way perfect but it's getting better! I do the same thing for both morning and night - cleanse, tone and moisturise but I like to add in the odd facial mask for a little extra TLC.

2. Do you avoid certain ingredients in cosmetics like parabens or sulfates?

I don't go out of my way to avoid certain ingredients but I do like to go for more natural products, my skin is sensitive enough without antagonising it. My skin is really prone to blackheads and blemishes so I do try to be quite careful, it is a recent habit though because beforehand I just tried anything and everything, I probably went overboard to improve my skin... Not a good idea.

3. What foundation do you use? What type of coverage do you prefer?

When I use foundation I tend to go for the Rimmel Wake Me Up foundation because it just brightens up my skin and the lightest shade fits my skin really well. Lately I've actually been back into tinted moisturiser, my skin doesn't look perfect but it just balances out a lot of things like blemishes without taking away my freckles and natural marks. I've been going for much lighter coverage, despite not being 100% happy with my skin, I just prefer the light and natural look.

4. Do you wear false lashes?

I actually don't, my lashes are already quite long and thick so if I want to particularly make them stand out I have tinted them this year and that works just as well as eyelash extensions or mascara. It's much easier than messing about with falsies!

5. What are you using on your lips at the moment?

Right now I'm just using the EOS Lemon Drop lip balm but I've been loving bolder colours like purple and red since I had my hair cut, I feel like I can pull them off better now that a lot of the dye has been cut out.

6. How often do you shop for makeup? Do you like to pick up an item here and there or get lots of goodies at once?

I love getting subscription beauty boxes and getting a few things to try out at once, I do still love to look online and pop in store in Superdrug to get a wider view of what's on offer so it kind of varies. I can't really pin-point how often but it is quite a lot, oh, the problems bloggers face!

7. If you could only buy from one brand, which brand would you choose?

That's a really tough question right now, I've tried that many... Uh... I guess it would have to be LUSH because they do pretty much everything now, I adore their Latté Lip Tint. It actually GREAT for Autumn as it's a bronze almost gold shade, it's just different really.

8. Favourite beauty guru?

I do still love Samantha Maria but I'm swaying more toward Helen Anderson or Zoe LDN as their style is a bit more edgy and they try more budget and easy to buy products.

9. Do you ever consider taking makeup classes?

I keep battling with myself about going on a course, I even found an online course for £25 a week but I just don't know if I could find the time. I'd love to do a Bobbi Brown makeup lesson, they do those instore but they look amazing, I wish I'd just done it in Hong Kong when I walked past Bobbi Brown, like, a million times.

10. What do you love about makeup?

I love that whilst makeup goes through trends, just like fashion, it's really more a way of expressing personal style. Everyone is going to have a different way of doing things and everyone has their own image that they stick to.

Thanks for checking out this ole tag, I enjoyed re-doing it and I'm glad I looked back on my past posts. Even if I have improved loads since then! I'm not going to tag anyone in particular, I would love it if you could let me know if you post or re-post so I can check it out.

Monday, 12 October 2015

Hey guys, hope you enjoyed my last post - the travel essentials one! - because I'm putting more of a focus on beauty posts now I'm back from Hong Kong. I've seen unboxing posts and videos before so this little gem from Birchbox gave me the chance to write one for myself. So, anyway, I've wanted to try out one of the subscription boxes for quite some time and Birchbox just kept popping up so I figured I might as well give it a go.

This month there was a choice between the Back To Basics box and the STYLIST one so I chose the latter as it seemed more bright and fun. The Stylist Guest Editor box was curated by Stylist Associate Editor, Joanna McGarry. She added some lovely quirky pieces, ones you wouldn't necessarily seek out without trying first. They're all great brands but they aren't the most popular or well known. It was nice to get something that wouldn't be easy to find as it means everything was new to me.

It's a nice mix of skincare, bodycare, hair product and make-up so it really was a varied box. These products have been deemed as 'must-haves' by Joanna McGarry so they're obviously pretty damn good!

Contents:

100% Pure Fruit Pigmented Lip Glaze - In a soft berry colour, this little beauty is non-drying, natural and an overall nice product. It's a great item to keep in a handbag as it's such a cute colour, if you feel a little dull or pasty just pop some of this on and you'll look fab. As it's a tinted balm sort of product it can be used as a blusher too if blended correctly.

Bioderma Sensibio H20 - A kind of micellar water that doesn't feel too oily and gets the job done, I like it because after use my skin feels cleansed, whilst I'm using it my skin tingles slightly but not uncomfortably.

PARLOUR by Jeff Chastain - A little salt spray never hurt anyone, right? I love using it on my short hair as it just adds a bit of texture and a bit of dimension without loads of backcombing or a harmful spray.

Rituals Yogi Flow Foaming Shower Gel - This foaming shower gel smells gorgeous! The scent is Indian Rose and Sweet Almond Oil, which I love. Also, since it's a FOAMING shower gel, it lathers up really easily - I reckon it would be great for travel.

When™ Travelmate Sheet Mask - I'm a sucker for a good face mask so it's not surprising that I found this mask to be a great choice, I got back from Hong Kong about a week ago so my skin was in need of some serious TLC and that's what the mask gave! Nice choice, Joanna.

English Laundry No.7 For Her - It was the 'Beauty Bonus' for this Birchbox, I thought that the overall scent was clean, just like laundry, it's namesake. I did love that it came in a travel sized bottle though so it can just sit in my handbag just incase.

Any questions about the products? I'll try my best to answer them in the comments. Thanks for reading this post, I hope you enjoyed it. Until next time, bye!

Friday, 9 October 2015

Hey guys, so it's been a while since I've done a favourites post so I figured, what better way of getting back into it than sharing some blogger love? Now, I really hope that the bloggers used in the image don't mind me using their pictures but if you guys don't want them up just let me know and I'll sort it out.

So, I'm going to start with the lovely Jemma (Dorkface Blog). I've been reading her blog for some time now and I adore her DIY posts, they're fun, practical and easy enough to follow so that I even I can follow up with them. She also blogs about beauty, lifestyle and lots of random cute topics. She actually designed my blog banner, which I love, and she takes on new projects all the time for a very reasonable price. I'd definitely recommend her if you need a new log, button or banner so check out her blog and see what she has to offer, you won't be disappointed!

The next blogger I want to talk about is Emmie (Carpe Diem Emmie), she blogs about lifestyle, dance and reviews so whilst I can't dance, like it's really embarrassing how bad I am at that, I still really enjoy her personal and varied lifestyle posts and reviews. Another thing I really love about her blog is how clean and organised it looks, it's just so put together and it never looks haphazard, y'know? Plus, her blog name is really clever, like, I just went for my first and middle name but she chose a really good name for her personal brand.

Katy (Little Miss Katy) is the next blogger I just really want to share with you guys, her blog is fun, friendly and full of all the things I love. She includes lifestyle, beauty, fashion, food and my most favourite thing ever - TRAVEL. I love discovering new places, products and people so I just really like to check in on her blog. That and the fact that the few times I've chatted with her on Twitter - she came across as a really lovely and down to earth person.

The fourth and last blogger that I'm mentioning in this post is Georgina Grogan (She Might Be Loved), her recent successes haven't changed her one bit and the opportunities they've brought her have really made her blog 'pop'. I mean that in the way that she's always posting new and fresh content that doesn't feel stale or rushed, her Halloween looks that she posts are AMAZING. I look forward to seeing where she takes her blog next, she's gone from strength to strength this year so keep an eye out for that!

Well, thanks for reading. It was nice to write about some of the bloggers who inspire and influence me right now, I hope you guys enjoyed this post as much as I enjoyed writing it. Let me know which bloggers you love in the comments, I love checking out new and different bloggers.

Wednesday, 7 October 2015

Hey guys, so this post was actually requested in the comments of my last post so I just thought I'd get it up and out ASAP. Thanks for the suggestion, by the way! So in this post I just want to list a few things a I deem as essential for a long-haul flight, let me know in the comments if you have any to add!

So when I go abroad I always struggle to pack my carry on bag, it's just something I tend to blank on. I was a little more prepared for my trip to Hong Kong, though. Since I was excited I watched loads of Youtube videos and read plenty of blog posts so I could see what other bloggers tend to take. I'm not including things like a passport, a phone or whatever else - my main focus is about keeping fresh and healthy looking over the course of a long haul journey.

First off I like to take a hat, whether my hair is long or short I always take one to cover up my hair after a flight because the journey could have been hours and sometimes it's just too uncomfortable for a topknot or clips. Basically, it's a way of being lazy with my hair but it really helps when the mirrors are all taken in the airport toilets - just pop on a beanie and voila!

A Tangle Teezer is also a handy thing to take with you, it's small and discreet so you can just give your hair a quick brush before you even get off the plane. Tangle Teezers are much more delicate with hair and they reduce the breakage that can occur whilst brushing out hair, also, it doesn't hurt when brushing out knots! Good or good?

Moisturising is super important when on a plane, well, in general actually but the recycled air of a plane is known for drying out skin so if you're prone to that you really need to pack some. I like the Vitamin E Illuminating Moisturising Cream from The Body Shop, it's like a mask you you just put it on like a mask and let it sink in.

Now, if your skin is 'bleh' like mine you may want to pack some tinted moisturiser for after the plane. I usually apply this before collecting my baggage from the conveyor belt, it just makes me look healthier and slightly glowy. For thus reason I like to use the All-In-One BB Cream from The Body Shop as it adapts to your skin tone and just evens things out, that and it's quite brightening so it makes me look fresh and healthy.

The EOS Lemon Drop Balm is a new favourite of mine but I would recommend any lip balm for a long journey as it solves the same issue as the moisture mask but for lips, mine get super dry when I'm on a plane and the EOS balm is great for that. It also helps that it smells and tastes yummy... It's available in a range of flavours, I stocked up whilst I was in Hong Kong.

Mints or gum is a MUST for long-haul travel, after hours on the plane it's great to just have something to freshen up your mouth and make it feel less 'ick' so I like to take Extra White Gum as it's sugar free and it cleans teeth as well as freshening the breath.

The last item in my essentials post is a perfume bottle, I would go for a sample as they are within the liquid restriction of 100ml per bottle or container. I love the Bvlgari Omnia perfume in Christaline, my gran actually introduced that one to me but I just love how it smells, check it out if you don't believe me when I say it smells gorgeous!

Well, thanks for reading this post, it's been a while since I've done a beauty related post so it's nice to get back into the swing of things. Thanks again for the suggestion, if you have any more suggestions I encourage and appreciate any in the comments!

Tuesday, 6 October 2015

Hey guys, so yesterday my travel log series came to an end and I thought I'd just round it off with an overview of sorts. This post will include all of the sights that I think shouldn't be missed when travelling through Hong Kong. Of course, most of them were blogged about so I'll leave links to those as I go along.

So, the first place I went was Stanley Market. It's a westerners favourite as it's great for shopping, a lot of the Hong Kong natives are more petite in size so if you want to buy a few extra pieces it's great to take a look. So what makes it a 'MUST SEE' place? Down by the front they still have traditional buildings made in the old oriental style so it's great to take a peak at something from the old world. There's more about it on my travel log so I'll not drag on the first place I wanted to add too much.

Sai Kung is another place you just have to visit, now, I'm not a big fan of seafood but apparently it's well know for it. They have those fish tanks you have to choose the fish you want to eat out of, it's certainly an experience anyway! The main thing that I went for was to see the dogs that are dressed up along the bay, people take their dogs to Sai Kung on a Sunday for a walk so they're usually all over the place.

The Avenue Of Stars (AOS) in TST is full of appreciation for Asian film stars, that generalisation includes Jackie Chan and Jet Li. The paths are dotted with celeb dedicated metal stars and cement hand prints which are quite popular with the tourists. You can actually watch the laser show from the AOS which is quite beautiful and worth visiting but I would suggest seeing both on the same day as it's quite time consuming to get to the AOS from anywhere but central.

Lamma Island, which is a short ferry from mainland Hong Kong is worth a visit. It's very bohemian and it just has a warm and pleasant vibe about it, I took a day trip but you can stay in hotels on the island. It's also very big on fishing so it's great if you're interested in that sort of thing! I was more into the bohemian side of things, hence all of the cool elephant shorts and trousers I bought there.

Speaking of things I bought... I definitely recommend the Mong Kok Ladies Market. It's very much like markets in the UK but you get to barter for things and experience the Hong Kong culture. It also helps that everything is pretty cheap too, I bought a few Christmas gifts from over there. Don't judge! I'm on apprenticeship wages and my shopping list is fairly long, it's the thought that counts.

The Floating Restaurant is a place that you should, at the very least, pop in and take a look around. As I mentioned, I'm not big on seafood so I didn't eat there but it's got a gift shop, pictures of royalty and stars dining and a few historical paintings. It's also worth it to try out a Junk Boat which you need to get on to get to the restaurant because, obviously, it's floating.

One place I really enjoyed visiting was Repulse Bay, it was one of the things I did earlier in my trip. It's another one of those places you can go and kill two birds with one stone, you can see something with history and a story behind it and then you can enjoy a nice ice cream by the bay. At one side there is the Tin Hau and Kwun Yum statues and on the other side there is the much more modern shopping center and dining experiences.

Another place you should check out is the Hong Kong Gardens, they're beautiful and there's an aviary, in there you can see some of the most beautiful exotic birds in Hong Kong. It's fairly chilled and it's really relaxing to just sit and watch the birds and they build nests, feed and fly about.

Without a doubt you should take a tram up to the peak, it's quite a big landmark and it's one of those things that you just need to experience. The view is amazing, there's a 3D museum, the shopping up there is fantastic and the food is delicious.

At the peak you can see a fair lot, it's pretty high up! You can see parts of Lamma and a whole lot more from the binoculars, it's really quite interesting to see everything from that angle. It's a great way of seeing the sheer scale and size of everything covering Hong Kong, it's a bit of an eye opener! I will say, though, take a pair of sunglasses. The picture to the right makes it look like I'm about to sneeze but, to be honest, it was just too bright so I had to squint at the camera at that angle. The observation deck that I went on was free as opposed to the one beside it that cost about $30 to enter.

Ocean park is one of the more modern sights of Hong Kong, whether you love rides or hate them you can still enjoy their animal attractions and themed restaurants. It's well known for their Giant Panda who has just been announced to be pregnant, aw! They also have sea lion shows, dolphin shows and a few more so it's a full days trip, especially if you decide to go on a few rides along the way. I'm just upset that I went home before the Halloween thing opened for the general public this month, it looked so cool! They even had an attraction based on The Walking Dead.

The Temple of the 10,000 Buddhas is definitely a top place in the sight seeing guides but... only if you are fit enough to walk up a LOAD of steps. I was utterly exhausted by the time I reached the top where the monastery and the statues were. Though, that could just be because I'm ridiculously out of shape! Like, I knew I was unfit but that walk just took the cake. I need to join the gym so badly! The monastery is something that people plan to see but the giant pagoda is something of note as it's actually on Hong Kong dollars.

You NEED to go to the Giant Buddha on Lantau Island, it's utterly spectacular and it's even worth the scary cable car ride to get to it. I'm saying that because I'm terrified of heights! I mentioned a few of the other great things to do in Lantau in my blog post but it's something you really should experience.

Well, those are the main sights you should see in Hong Kong. Let me know if you think I missed any and I could do a follow up, also, let me know if you've been to any of them! I'd love to hear about your opinions of either my post or the places themselves.

Monday, 5 October 2015

Hey guys! So this is my final proper travel log from my trip to Hong Kong, my trip has come to an end and I'm currently suffering from jet-lag. My day in Gnong Ping was a bright one, I wore sunglasses most of the day because it was so intense. It was a beautiful place though, I visited the Giant Buddha, the Temple of the 10,000 Buddhas, the Motion 360 and the market leading towards the Giant Buddha. It's an experience you should definitely make sure to have if you go to Asia.

My only issue with Lantau Island was the fact that I was convinced to go on the cable cars, I'm terrified of heights and I pulled a rather disturbed face the whole time, though, it was pretty interesting. The cable car ride was about twenty-five minutes long so a lot was to be seen!

Once in Gnong Ping there's a lot of suggested staged photograph backgrounds, the one to the right came out best out of the ones I tried. It features one of Hong Kong's famous pink dolphins that can only be found in two places of the world. Anyway, these backgrounds are dotted around the little village for the many tourists that pass through everyday.

It's mainly geared towards tourists, I saw quite a few gift and souvenir shops that held both traditional and modern styled pieces so they were fairly interesting. They even sold lotus shoes, a brutal and poignant reminder of the trials and troubles that Asian women had to endure to find a husband, apparently the last woman to wear them said that it was impossible to find a husband without the binding. On a lighter note, I bought a little Buddha phone charm as a souvenir, it's a beautiful yet subtle way of reminding me of my travels.

The Motion 360 Lantau Island experience was amazing, it was a way of seeing things from different angles and getting little tid-bit of information. At the start of the experience I was told to buckle up my seat belt - I know, a seatbelt for a cinema???? - but I soon understood why.

It was like a journey over Lantau and the confused 'pilot' was the tour guide. It involved being sprayed, moving seats, air whooshing past my ears and something going on by my ankles. It was pretty fun! I wasn't going to go but it was included in the cable car package, I'm glad it was because I really enjoyed myself. I also saw a film about Siddhartha Buddha 'the enlightened one' which explained quite a bit about Buddhism and the reason behind the Giant Buddha.

Speaking of the Giant Buddha, I visited the Po Lin Monastery before continuing up the 268 steps up towards the Giant Buddha. I was in awe of the whole experience, the devotion the monks have to their spirituality and beliefs is just astounding. The sheer scale of the Tian Tan Buddha is further evidence of that, though, it's not THAT old though as it was completed in 1993 so it's only two years older than me.

The Buddha is actually hollow so there's a place to leave offerings and a giant bell with Buddhist markings covering it. Everything was built with attention to detail and I, personally, was very appreciative of the fact as the experience left me speechless at times. There's an artifact within that supposedly has the Buddhas remains within but you can only see them if you make an offering as they are in the room used to place the offerings.

On the way back to the cable cars I was shocked to spot a random cow casually eating grass by the walkway. I spotted quite a few people taking photos with it so I figured... Yeah, I took a picture with the cow.

Well, that's it for my Hong Kong travel logs. My next post will be a overview of my trip so hopefully that will be up fairly soon. I'm planning quite a few beauty posts over this month, including a collaboration with Nicola DaRita! Thank you for reading my latest post, I really appreciate it!

I'm a little off the wall blogger from the North East of England, I drink my weight in tea on a daily basis and I tend to quote books, movies and music. I blog about my life, beauty and fashion so you'll be sure to find a mixed range of content here. Thanks for visiting!

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'Aymie Louise' is a lifestyle, beauty and fashion blog that includes honest reviews and accepts sponsored posts. If the product reviewed has been sent out, paid to be reviewed or anything else of that nature it will be announced within the post.